Peter's Stitches

My youngest son, Peter, has had a very rough week. After 6 days of a low grade fever, the docs put him through a battery of x-rays, blood tests, as well as miscellaneous probing and prodding. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and put on antibiotics, and on Sunday was feeling back to normal.

So, Sunday afternoon we were over at our friends' house when Peter and his amigo/partner-in-crime decided to play tug of war with an elastic exercise band (the kind used for basic resistance exercises). As should be expected by parents in situations like this, one of them is guaranteed to let go, and Peter was on the losing end of the *snap* that we heard out in the living room.

Peter let out a scream of pain and anguish unlike any I have ever heard. It was a completely new type of scream, if you get my gist. You would classify it with the tags "what the ^$%!", "extreme pain", and "mom, help".

We ran to the next room, whereupon he jumped into his mother's arms and proceeded to cling tightly to her, as he continued to howl. Oh yeah, and he was bleeding all over her shirt and there was blood all over the floor. Nice.

The handle from the other end must have hit him on the left part of his chin, cleaning splitting it open and leaving a nice, gaping wound. Can't fix that one with a band-aid and kiss - no way, no how.

So, off to urgent care. Three hours and seven stitches later, and the ordeal was pretty much over. The bleeding stopped by the time we arrived at urgent care, which was a relief, and Peter was a champ getting the stitches.

He gets them removed today, as his pediatrician doesn't want to leave them in too long to help prevent scarring ( "No, not the face!" )

"It's OK dad, chicks dig scars!"

Baseball Season - Week 6 Wrap-up

Week 6 saw us play a single game on Thursday against the River Dogs, as the Saturday game was rained out. We have missed only one game due to rain this season, so I can't complain too much even though I want the kids to get all the practice they can before the tournament at the end of the season.

So, Game #10 saw us facing the River Dogs for the second time this season, and we expected a good game. Our offense really came alive, with the boys hitting off the pitching machine well for the first three innings. We scored 3 runs in the 1st, 4 runs in the 2nd, and three more in the 3rd. When we switched to kid-pitch, our team scored 1 run in the 4th and 5th as well - not too shabby!

The defense was very tight this game. We had three pop outs, one of which by the pitcher going backwards towards the shortstop position, stretched out to his limit. Our team (away) only got to pitch for one inning, which was a disappointment. I still have not gone through all seven of the kids who want to pitch, needing one more inning before I start back at the top of the rotation.

We now transition to full kid pitch, and the pitching machine stays in the equipment container. After 10 games, we are 9 and 1. The score sheet for game #10 is below.

Donning His Armor

As the time to do battle on the fields of war approaches, the resolute knight dons his armor, making sure each fastener is snug and secure. For he knows that his armor and wits are all that protect him once he takes his place.



With a determination forged out of his years of training, he goes about his duties as if the whirling maelstrom about him is nothing but a gentle breeze.


Look into his grim visage and tremble, ye who would challenge him!

Baseball Season - Week 5 Wrap-up

Spring break was over as of last week, and baseball is back in full swing with two games. I always worry about those first couple of games after spring break, as the kids tend to take a mental and physical break during their time off from school. I held practices during the two weeks off, including two sessions of batting practice, to try and minimize the disruption.

So Monday night, we found ourselves playing the River Cats again. Unfortunately, of their 12 players on the team, only 6 showed up. We decided to put three of our players in their outfield when we were up to bat, switching them around as needed by the batting order. As I feared, the players were very rusty. We still won with a 14-10 score, but it was not pretty.

On Saturday, we faced the Storm. Let's just say that of all the managers and teams we play, the Storm is the team I like to beat the most. I'll just leave it at that, and add that we beat them 14-4 with a very solid performance from our team. Defense was spot-on, and the kids had a couple innings where they knocked the ball around the grass real nicely.

So, half way through the season we are 8 and 1. Not too shabby! Score cards for the two games mentioned are found below.

Tuesday Afternoon Surf Report

The last week or so has seen some significant swell in the water, however the wind in the mid-day has not been kind. Today I noted that the wind seemed to be letting up a bit, and decided to take my newly repaired GH quad canard turbo fish out for a spin.

Let's just say that whereas the waves were good, I was not. Having not taken out the fish in several months, nothing felt quite right. It is a lot shorter, wider, and thicker than my thruster, so I knew it would take me a bit of getting to know it again.

At least the weather was beautiful! As I waited for another wave, the sun broke through the marine layer and it appears as if it is here to stay for the rest of the day. Nice!

Baseball Season - Week 4 Wrap-up

Week 4 featured a single game on Monday night, before spring break kicked in. We played the Iron Birds, and it was the first game featuring kid-pitch in the 4th, 5th and 6th innings.

It was a close fought game, with the Raptors taking an early lead. At the end of the 3rd inning, we were up 5-3. After the 3rd inning, the pitching machine came off and the kids took the mound. In the 4th inning, my son took the mound and gave up 1 hit, hit one batter, struck out three, and gave up no runs. Things were looking fairly good so far.

The tide turned in the 5th inning with our next pitcher, when the Iron Birds struck for 3 runs, going up 6-5. We were not able to pick up any more runs, and hence lost our first game taking us to a 6-1 record. Despite a lackluster offensive performance (which is to be expected in the transition from pitching machine to kid pitch), it was a good defensive game and a decent premier of our three rookie Raptors pitchers.

Our score sheet for the game is found below.

Tallships in Oceanside Harbor

In mid-January, I learned that two tallships would sail into Oceanside Harbor and provide tours for folks who wanted to look at the ships. So, I took off from work after a half-day, and brought the whole family down to the harbor.


We walked out to the end of the North jetty, and watched the two ships make their way into the harbor. The first ship fired off a canon as it entered the jetty - thankfully, their aim was horrible!


After both ships had docked, tours were provided by the crew of each ship, which actually live aboard the ships. The quarters appeared to be quite cramped, and the lack of personal space would take some getting used to, I imagine.

We went with our friends, and all the kids had a great time - I think they may have even learned a thing or two! Below, Peter and his buddy Andy take a quick break aboard the Hawaiian Chieftain.